Critical review on non-traditional method of requirement gathering Literature

Critical on non-traditional method of requirement gathering - Literature review Example While the authors did not replicate previous research, they illustrate the importance of this concept via the issuance of a case study that explores multiple methods that can be utilised when promoting enterprise system development (Shen 2004). This is a critical concept to understand as it is essential to select the correct resources and tools before any given organisation begins the process developing a business model that can be useful to their operations moving forward. To illustrate this, the authors do a highly effective job of discussing each of the significant modelling methods and techniques that the modern day business has to choose from in this regard today. Through the analysis of the case study, this paper further demonstrates that enterprise information systems should not be viewed as a stagnant, but rather as a constantly evolving process that can greatly be impacted by today’s increasingly technological and global business landscape. When this is taken account, the study does demonstrate that such business modelling methods can provide a solid base to build upon in terms of meeting the requirements of further enhancing existing enterprise

Reading Autobiography Essay Example for Free

Reading Autobiography Essay Although I do not have many vivid memories of my childhood the few things I do recall from my early years mostly seem to focus around school and my academics and interactions with children my own age. It is nearly impossible to pinpoint when exactly it was that I began to read but it must have been somewhere around the end of kindergarten and the beginning of first grade. I didn’t attend preschool so up until kindergarten my primary interaction with others was in my first language, Spanish. I can recall learning the alphabet and the sounds of all letters and I started to make out certain words like ‘see’ and ‘my’. The most influential person in the process of acquiring the skills I needed to read must have been an instructional assistant, Mr. Torres who would help me and other bilingual students regularly in the classroom. Of course the instruction by my teacher set the basis for my learning but the one on one help that he provided helped me make connections to my learning in Spanish and that made me feel very comfortable. The first books I began to read must have been simple stories that I came to memorize. Stories like The Gingerbread Man or Brown Bear that had repetitive lines were probably how I started to make connections with words, sounds and pronunciation of those words and sounds. Learning to read made me feel empowered and I remember wanting to read â€Å"big kids† books once I felt I was capable. Among my favorite types of books were scary chapter books like the series of Goosebumps as well as biographies of famous athletes. Among my least favorite must have been nonfiction and folktale because they never really managed to pull me in and I was always very skeptical about such fantasy. Unfortunately, this thrive to read did not last very long because I started to drift away from the constant practice of reading around the fifth grade and started seeing it more as an obligation rather than a choice. As a whole the literacy environment in my household was actually a very positive one and ever since I can recall my mom has always been a big reader and has many books and magazines throughout the house. All of her reading though was done in Spanish when I was growing up because as I was learning how to read my mom was learning the English language. My dad on the other hand has never been a big reader. Actually I can’t recall a time when I have seen him sit down and read something simply for leisure. I also had an older sister who was just a grade ahead of me in school and she has always been a bit of a bookworm and was constantly going through different books as we grew up. Even with all these things I think the language barrier influenced my detachment from reading. In my household we rarely spoke English, maybe if my mom and dad knew the language or were more comfortable with it they might have pushed me to read more or took the time to sit down and read to me. Come to think of it my mom would read to me but she would do it in Spanish and it was a bit boring for me. She would read common stories that I had already heard like the three little pigs or something of that sort and all I would gain out of this was amusement because the way things translated to me was funny. My mom did take us to the city Library and I remember going to story time or to some sort of show based on books. I remember seeing a magician and also petting a snake. As for having materials to read and write, there was always plenty throughout my house. My mom kept a full stock of pencil and paper as well as of books it was just a matter of me doing the actual work. She constantly asked me to explain to her what I was reading or writing for school but I always seemed to find a way to not spend too much time with it because all I wanted to do was play with the neighborhood kids or run off to soccer practice. In school the literacy environment was very positive as well and I remember how much time and dedication the faculty would place on reading and the development of reading skills. I can’t remember who formally taught me how to read but it must have been either Mrs. Diamond or Miss Falgot my first and second grade teachers, because by third grade I remember being able to read fluently. They used several different types of methods but I remember being read to very often by Miss Falgot. I do recall being placed in groups and having partners whom you read to and vice versa. I believe both Mrs. Diamond and Miss Falgot were key role players in my acquisition of reading skills and although I don’t recall specifics they did their job because by third grade I was at the top of my class. I do remember a particular case that had a bit of a negative effect on me in terms of reading. I remember being in either fourth or fifth grade reading as a class and the teacher called on me to read a paragraph. I don’t remember what I was thinking but I was not listening and wasn’t even on the right page, once I located it I got nervous and couldn’t even read. Luckily the teacher called on someone else but I felt horrible. As a class throughout elementary I remember visiting the library and running to the sport books section. The Library was so calm and always cool and I remembering going in there on hot summer days to get away and read a good book. The librarian I remember was always very sweet and she was very patient with all the students. As for literacy events the only thing that is clear in my mind is the book fairs that occurred maybe twice or three times a year. They were very fun and I remember they made even the boring books seem interesting. They set up all kinds of posters and it was something that I always looked forward to. As an adult I began to pick up old habits especially after I came into college. I can’t say I read a lot but I do find time to fit in a book every once in a while. I am still a big fan of autobiographies and I have recently developed a liking for books in Spanish. I usually read on the weekends when I am well rested and have slept in. I also like to go to parks and sit in the shade and enjoy a good book or story or even an interesting article. I think reading is very important and not only to help us expand our vocabulary or help us academically but when you read a good book you get a chance to escape your everyday and it gives you an insight into a story or a character in the way a TV or radio cannot. It captivates you and manages to get all of your attention but at the same time relaxes you. I think reading is something that should be taught to students but not just in order to help them academically but educators should also focus on showing the importance of literature in our lives and the positive way it influences our lives down the road something the media of today cannot manage to do. Writing equally should be not only taught for the purpose of education but in a way those students value it and continue to practice it even without a teacher pushing them to do so.

The Issues Of The Sexual Morality Sociology Essay

The Issues Of The Sexual Morality Sociology Essay Sexual morality refers to the beliefs and practices by which a culture, group, faith, etc. regulates their members behaviour in matter of sexual activities. Many cultures and religions have rules regarding sexual behavior which they consider moral and it is said by persons in those cultures and religions that those acting outside of those rules are immoral or wrong. These rules sometimes distinguish between sexual activities that are practiced for biological reproduction (sometimes allowed only when in formal marital status and in fertile age) and other activities practiced for the pleasure of sex only (or mainly). In this sense, a concept of sexual morality can be expressed in any of the possible directions, and groups exist that recommend restrictive behaviours as well as groups that recommend totally free self-determination, as well as a variety of intermediate positions. The respective efficacy of these rules depends on the social position of the group that develops them, on its eventual political representativity, on its relationships with the laws of the related country. Views on sexual morality have varied greatly over time and from culture to culture. Usually, they derive from religious beliefs, but some writers have pointed out that social and environmental conditions play a part in the development of a given societys views on sexual morality. In Western pluralistic societies of the 20th and 21st centuries, there often exists debate on not only whether there is a common morality, but on whether it is right to expect such a common view. In most western societies, laws allowing a wide range of sexual relationships between consenting adults are the norm, although that legal range varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The debate thus often includes a sub-argument of what is legal vs. what is moral. In previous centuries and in many non-western cultures of the 20th and 21st centuries, there has been less room for debate. This does not mean, however, that views on sexual morality have ever been homogenous. For example, in Hellenic society, homosexual behavior was often encouraged and accepted as part of the socialization and upbringing of young men, especially those in the military. These relationships were in addition to heterosexual relationships entered into for the establishment of families and the production of progeny so that property would be inherited and kept within a larger kinship group. The importance of the kin-group and the maintenance of its property was such that, under certain circumstances, Athenian law allowed an uncle to marry his niece in order to keep family property together. It could be therefore argued that the needs of the family constituted a higher morality that helped to define the sexual mores of the society as a whole. In Roman society, sexual morality concentrated more on the social status of those involved, and their taboos concentrated on high-status men committing any kind of sexual act that was thought of as passive or submissive. Providing that the sexual act was dominant in nature, and the man had a high social status Roman society made little distinction between the type of sexual partner and type of sexual act. Another example is the contrast between traditional European and traditional Asian or African views of permitted familial relationships. British law and custom, for example, frequently forbade intermarriage between those related by marriage. However, in rural regions of India, Nepal, and surrounding nations, fraternal polyandry, in which two (or more) brothers marry the same woman, is culturally accepted. Likewise, European mores generally advocate monogamy strongly. Polygamy is widely practiced by many societies throughout Asia and Africa, and polyandry is the accepted norm in a few Indian and African societies. Moreover , exual ethics (also referred to as sexual morality) refers to those aspects of ethics that deal with issues arising from all aspects of sexuality and human sexual behavior. Broadly speaking, sexual ethics relates to community and personal standards relating to the conduct of interpersonal relationships, and deals with issues of consent, sexual relations before marriage and/or while married, including issues of marital fidelity and premarital and non-marital sex, issues related to sexuality, questions about how gender and power are expressed through sexual behavior, questions about how individuals relate to society, and questions about how individual behavior impacts public health concerns. OBJECTIVES To know the reality of the world and act accordingly To have the knowledge before being affected by sexual morality To be able to care for others and know their rights To help prevent more sexual morality victims directly or indirectly EXPLANATION Sexual Morality In A Nutshell Sexual morality refers to the beliefs and practices by which a culture, group, faith, etc. regulates their members behaviour in matter of sexual activities. Many cultures and religions have a sexual morality that they would like to apply even to non adherents; sometimes force has been used in spreading concepts of morality. These rules sometimes distinguish between sexual activities that are practiced for biological reproduction (sometimes allowed only when in formal marital status and in fertile age) and other activities practiced for the pleasure of sex only (or mainly). In this sense, a concept of sexual morality can be expressed in any of the possible directions, and groups exist that recommend restrictive behaviours as well as groups that recommend totally free self-determination, as well as a variety of intermediate positions. The respective efficacy of these rules depends on the social position of the group that develops them, on its eventual political representativity, on its relationships with the laws of the related country. Views on sexual morality have varied greatly over time and from culture to culture. Usually, they derive from religious beliefs, but some writers have pointed out that social and environmental conditions play a part in the development of a given societys views on sexual morality. In Western pluralistic societies of the 20th and 21st centuries, there often exists debate on not only whether there is a common morality, but on whether it is right to expect such a common view. In most western societies, laws allowing a wide range of sexual relationships between consenting adults is the norm, although that legal range varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The debate thus often includes a sub-argument of what is legal vs. what is moral. In previous centuries and in many non-western cultures of the 20th and 21st centuries, there has been less room for debate. This does not mean, however, that views on sexual morality have ever been homogenous. For example, in Hellenic society, homosexual behavior was often encouraged and accepted as part of the socialization and upbringing of young men, especially those in the military. These relationships were in addition to heterosexual relationships entered into for the establishment of families and the production of progeny s o that property would be inherited and kept within a larger kinship group. The importance of the kin-group and the maintenance of its property was such that, under certain circumstances, Athenian law allowed an uncle to marry his niece in order to keep family property together. It could be therefore argued that the needs of the family constituted a higher morality that helped to define the sexual mores of the society as a whole. Another example is the contrast between traditional European and traditional Asian or African views of permitted familial relationships. British law and custom, for example, frequently forbade intermarriage between those related by marriage. However, in rural regions of India, Nepal, and surrounding nations, fraternal polyandry, in which two (or more) brothers marry the same woman, is culturally accepted. Likewise, European mores generally advocate monogamy strongly. However, polygamy is a much more common social pattern worldwide, with some 80 percent of world cultures considering it acceptable. Polygyny is widely practiced by many societies throughout Asia and Africa, and polyandry is the accepted norm in a few Indian and African societies. In the United States, what many conservatives call traditional morality is held to prohibit all non-marital sex, because of the moral belief that sexual relations should occur only between husband and wife. This view of morality thus disapproves of some or all of the followingpremarital, extramarital, and homosexual relationswhether consensual or not. There are people who disagree with this traditional view. Generally they believe that sex is a natural behavior which should be only minimally restricted by legislation or other imposed moralities. Even among the most liberal views of sexual morality in the US, there is generally agreement that involving non-consenting partners (or those unable to give consent legally) in sexual relationships should be restricted and punishable under the law. Social constructions of sex continued to evolve throughout the twentieth century in Western societies. The pioneering surveys conducted by Alfred C. Kinsey and his colleagues (Kinsey et al. 1953; Kinsey, Pomeroy, and Martin 1948) found widespread premarital and extramarital sexual behavior among both men and women. This challenged the popular view that women were not interested in sex, or less interested in it than men. The work of William Masters and Virginia Johnson (1966) demonstrated that the processes of sexual arousal were similar for men and women, in contrast to the earlier view that they were different. These findings led to what has been termed the eroticization of female sexuality (Seidman 1991), the view that men and women were equally erotic. However, there are some gender differences in sexual behavior. Surveys in the United States (Smith 1991), Britain ( Johnson et al. 1994), and France (Spira et al. 1992) find that men report a larger number of sexual partners than wo men, both lifetime and in the recent past. Studies also find that men are more accepting of sexual activity in casual relationships than are women (Oliver and Hyde 1993). DISCUSSIONS Gender Discrimination In Wikipedia the definition for discrimination is given as the  prejudicial  treatment of an individual based solely on their membership (whether voluntary or involuntary) in a certain group or category. Discrimination is the  actual behavior  towards members of another group. It involves excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to other groups.  The  United Nations  explains: Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection.  Discriminatory laws such as  redlining  have existed in many countries. In some countries, controversial attempts such as  racial quotas  have been used to redress negative effects of discrimination. The main discrimination we want to discuss is gender discrimination. The Wikipedia also defines it as the gender discrimination and sexism refers to beliefs and  attitudes  in relation to the  gender  of a person, such beliefs and attitudes are of a social nature and do not, normally, carry any legal consequences.  Sex discrimination, on the other hand, may have legal consequences. Though what constitutes sex discrimination varies between countries, the essence is that it is an adverse action taken by one person against another person that would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. Discrimination of that nature in certain enumerated circumstances is illegal in many countries. Currently, discrimination based on sex is defined as adverse action against another person, that would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. This is considered a form of  prejudice  and is illegal in certain enumerated circumstances in most countries. Sexual discrimination can arise in different contexts. For instance an employee may be discriminated against by being asked discriminatory questions during a job interview, or because an  employer  did not hire, promote or wrongfully terminated an employee based on his or her gender, or employers pay unequally based on gender. In an educational setting there could be claims that a student was excluded from an educational institution, program, opportunity, loan, student group, or scholarship due to his or her gender. In the housing setting there could be claims that a person was refused negotiations on seeking a house, contracting/leasing a house or getting a loan based on his or her gender. Another setting where there have been claims of gender discrimination is banking; for example if one is refused credit or is offered unequal loan terms based on ones gender. Another setting where there is usually gender discrimination is when one is refused to extend his or her credit, refused approval of credit/loan process, and if there is a burden of unequal loan terms based on ones gender. Socially, sexual differences have been used to justify different roles for men and women, in some cases giving rise to claims of primary and secondary roles. While there are alleged non-physical differences between men and women, major reviews of the academic literature on gender difference find only a tiny minority of characteristics where there are consistent psychological differences between men and women, and these relate directly to experiences grounded in biological difference.  However, there are also some psychological differences in regard to how problems are dealt with and emotional perceptions and reactions which may relate to hormones and the successful characteristics of each gender during longstanding roles in past primitive lifestyles. Unfair discrimination usually follows the  gender stereotyping  held by a society. The  United Nations  had concluded that women often experience a glass ceiling and that there are no societies in which women enjoy the same opportunities as men. The term glass ceiling is used to describe a perceived barrier to advancement in employment based on discrimination, especially sex discrim ination. In the  United States  in 1995, the Glass Ceiling Commission, a government-funded group, stated: Over half of all Masters degrees are now awarded to women, yet 95% of senior-level managers, of the top Fortune 1000 industrial and 500 service companies are men. Of them, 97% are white. In its report, it recommended  affirmative action, which is the consideration of an employees gender and race in hiring and promotion decisions, as a means to end this form of discrimination.  In 2008, women accounted for 51% of all workers in the high-paying management, professional, and related occupations. They outnumbered men in such occupations as public relations managers; financial managers; and human resource managers. The  Chinas leading headhunter, Chinahr.com, reported in 2007 that the average salary for white-collar men was 44,000 yuan ($6,441), compared with 28,700 yuan ($4,201) for women. The PwC research found that among FTSE 350 companies in the  United Kingdom  in 2002 almost 40% of senior management posts were occupied by women. When that research was repeated in 2007, the number of senior management posts held by women had fallen to 22%. Transgender  individuals, both male to female and female to male, often experience problems which often lead to dismissals, underachievement, difficulty in finding a job, social isolation, and, occasionally, violent attacks against them. Nevertheless, the problem of gender discrimination does not stop at trand ender individuals nor with women. Men are often the victim in certain areas of employment as men begin to seek work in office and childcare settings traditionally perceived as womens jobs. One such situation seems to be evident in a recent case concerning alleged YMCA discrimination and a Federal Court Case in Texas.  The case actually involves alleged discrimination against both men and blacks in childcare, even when they pass the same strict background tests and other standards of employment. It is currently being contended in federal court, as of fall 2009, and sheds light on how a workplace dominated by a majority (women in this case) sometimes will seemingly justify wh atever they wish to do, regardless of the law. This may be done as an effort at self-protection, to uphold traditional societal roles, or some other faulty, unethical or illegal prejudicial reasoning. Affirmative action  also leads to white men being discriminated against for entry level and blue collar positions. An employer cannot hire a white man with the same on paper qualifications over a woman or minority worker or the employer will face prosecution. The UNICEF claims on gender discrimination that birth histories and census to-date reveal an unusually high proportion of male births and male children under five in Asia, most notably in India and China, suggesting sex-selecting foeticide and infanticide in the worlds two most populous countries, despite initiatives to eradicate these practices in both countries. More than 115 million children of primary school age do not attend school. For every 100 boys not attending primary school, there are 115 girls in the same situation. Research shows that educated women are less likely to die in childbirth and more likely to send their children to school. A UNICEF survey of selected countries finds that on average, children with uneducated mothers are at least twice as likely to be out of primary school than children whose mothers attended primary school. More than 130 million women and girls alive today have been subjected to female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), which can have grave health consequences, including the failure to heal, increased susceptibility to HIV infection, childbirth complications, inflammatory diseases and urinary incontinence. The younger girls are when they first have sex, the more likely it is that intercourse has been imposed on them. According to a World Health Organisation study, 150 million girls and 73 million boys under the age of 18 experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of physical and sexual violence in 2002. Globally, 36 per cent of woman between the ages of 20-24 were married or in union before they reached 18. Premature pregnancy and childbirth is often a dangerous consequence of child marriage. An estimated 14 million girls between 15-19 years old give birth every year. If a mother is under 18, her babys chances of dying in the first year of life is 60 percent greater than that of a baby born to a mother over 19. Babies born to mothers under 18 are more likely to suffer from low birth weight, under nutrition and delayed physical and cognitive development. High rates of illiteracy among women prevent them from knowing about the risks of HIV infection and ways to protect themselves.  Elderly women may face double discrimination on the basis of both gender and age. Women tend to live longer than men, may lack control of family resources and can face discrimination from inheritance and property laws. This is what gender discrimination means where the male and female are discriminated in some ways. Pornography Pornography or porn is the portrayal of explicit sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual excitement and erotic satisfaction. Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animatio, sound recordingn, film, video, or video game. However, when sexual acts are performed for a live audience, by definition, it is not pornography, as the term applies to the depiction of the act, rather than the act itself. Thus, portrayals such as sex shows and striptease are not classified as pornography. A pornographic model poses for pornographic photographs. A pornographic actor, also called porn star, acts in pornographic films. In cases where few actor skills are required a performer in pornographic films is also called a pornographic model. Pornography has often been subject to censorship and legal restraints on publication on grounds of obscenity. Such grounds and the very definition of what is or is not pornography have differed in different historical, cultural and national contexts. Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of home video and the Internet, as well as the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexual portrayals. Amateur pornography has become widely popular and generally distributed via the Internet for free. MORAL PRESPECTIVE Benefits of Safe sex Sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies can be greatly reduced by practicing safe sex. Even thought no method of safe sex is 100% effective, it is still much better than not using any protection. The methods of protection, while not foolproof, still greatly reduce the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or an unwanted pregnancy. So, if you choose to engage in sexually activity, its always important to use some form of protection. The following will outline some of the options available including abstinence and monogamy, both male and female condoms, and oral contraception. Abstinence is still the best and safest method of preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. It is 100% effective. Although it is the only foolproof method, it is not the most popular choice. The next best option if you are unwilling to practice abstinence, is to engage in sexual activities with only one person, in a monogamous relationship. A monogamous relationship means that both you and your partner engage in sexual activity with no one but each other. While monogamy is not an effective method of birth control, it does minimize the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. As long as both you and your partner are free of diseases and remain committed to each other, you will remain free of diseases. Abstinence and monogamy are both highly effective safe sex methods. Abstinence is effective at preventing both pregnancy and diseases while monogamy helps to prevent diseases only. The condom is one of the better methods available for avoiding sexually transmitted diseases. When theyre properly used they are also 97%-98% effective in preventing pregnancy. Male condoms are easily accessible in drug stores, grocery stores, and even vending machines. They are also inexpensive. There are male and female versions of the condom available. Male condoms are more popular. The male condom is a thin sheath, usually made of latex that fits over the penis and acts as a barrier to the exchange of bodily fluids during intercourse. Even if they arent used correctly, they are still very effective in preventing pregnancy (88%-90% effective). So even though they are effective, they are still not 100% reliable. The risk still exists, however small, of getting pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. The female condom is a polyurethane sheath that lines the entire vagina. The closed end is inserted into the vagina and the open end remains outside the body. Its been available only since the 1990s and is not as readily available at the male condom. If you can find it, you will also pay more for it, since it costs more than a male condom. It is however, just as effective as the male condom in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. There are oral contraceptives available as well that are very effective in preventing pregnancy. These however, do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. An oral contraceptive is a pill that is taken daily which uses hormones to prevent pregnancy. If used correctly, the pill is 97-99% effective. As with any drug, there are side effects that come along with pill usage. Most of these side effects are mild. Some side effects include weight changes, nausea, irritability and breast tenderness. Even though these arent severe, they can be avoided altogether. Today there are numerous varieties of pills on the market. Talk to your doctor and find out which is best for you. Again, while oral contraceptives are effective against preventing pregnancy, they do not work against contracting sexually transmitted diseases. If you are not sure that your partner is free of disease, you should consider using another form of safe sex method as a back up to prevent these diseases. If you want to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, it is best to take all the measure you can to practice safe sex. So while abstinence is the only 100% effective method against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, there are other options out there to explore that offer good benefits. Monogamy is effective in protection against sexually transmitted diseases, while condoms and birth control pills are effective against unwanted pregnancies. Safer Sex (Safe Sex) at a Glance can reduces our risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), using condoms makes vaginal or anal intercourse safer sex, using condoms or other barriers makes oral sex safer sex, having sex play without intercourse can be even safer sex, and safer sex can be very pleasurable and exciting. CONCLUSION As a conclusion the major change in the discourse about sex is the uncoupling of sex from marriage. As sexual gratification became accepted as an end in itself, people began to challenge the belief that intimate sexual activity should be limited to marriage. A liberal discourse emerged, which argued that sexual intimacy involving consenting people who are not married nor planning to marry is acceptable. In the 1970s, some argued that extramarital sexual intimacy is acceptable if the spouse approves (ONeill and ONeill 1972). This discourse led to expansion of available sexual lifestyles, including nonmarital relationships, cohabitation, and open marriage. Since the mid-1960s, in the United States and elsewhere in the West, a minority discourse has developed that separates sex from love. According to this view, engaging in sexual intimacy for physical pleasure, or to express affection for ones partner, is legitimate. This discourse is the basis of a best-selling sexual advice book of the 1970s, The Joy of Sex (Comfort 1972), and its sequel, The New Joy of Sex (Comfort 1991). This discourse views male and female as essentially equal in sexual potential and in the right to sexual gratification. It challenges the double standard that sexual intimacy outside marriage or a committed relationship is acceptable for men but not for women. This discourse is consistent with the view that sex need not be limited to heterosexual couples. Thus, it facilitated the movement toward acceptance of casual heterosexual and homosexual contacts and living in committed gay and lesbian relationships. The most visible change in the United States and other Western cultures since the mid-1970s is the increasing explicitness of public discourse about sexuality. Explicit sexual representations are found in newspapers, magazines, novels, and films. The individuals desire for sexual fulfillment is used to sell lipstick, colognes, beer, clothing, travel, and automobiles. Personal advertisements, singles magazines, and dating services cater to the desire to find the (nearly) perfect spouse or the perfect sexual partner. The sex industry provides lubricants, vibrators, erotic clothing, and explicit videos to people seeking sexual fulfillment. Thus, stimuli associated with arousal are almost everywhere, creating a culture in which the sexual is ever-present. This sexualization of the culture undoubtedly contributes to the occurrence of sexual activity in places and among persons formerly prohibited.

The Social Effects of Digital Technology :: Technology

Introduction: Digital technology was introduced thanks to numerous technological improvements, which have developed and changed society. As expected Postman (1992), â€Å"a new technology does not add or subtract something. It changes everything.† Digital technology is basically any software using or based on the binary code, a coding system using the binary digits 0 and 1 to represent a letter, digit, or character in a computer or any other electronic device. Both households and businesses use this technology for various purposes, such as entertainment, productivity, communication, etc. To define the actual benefits and negative impacts of digital technology, it first needs to be understood that this technology is mostly a platform, on which have grown numerous innovations. Digital technology is most known for providing society with personal computers and the Worldwide Web. President Clinton, in 1996 during his announcement of the initiative to take Internet to the Next Generation humorous ly said, â€Å"When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the Worldwide Web†¦ Now, even my cat has its own page.† On the other hand, what was, until recent days, less advertised were the negative effects that digital technology has had on society and mankind since it’s massive implementation. What is induced by this technology, and most importantly, what are the real benefits and effects of digital technology? Negative Effect: A- A study done at the university of Maryland reports the addictive potential of new digitalized technologies (Ipods, cellphones, laptops). College students who gave up all form of technology for 24 hours reported feelings of â€Å"withdrawal and anxiety†, according to an editorial in the Seattle Times. Sociability issues as well as a tendency towards isolation were observed in the tested group. In addition, what is considered even more preoccupying is the â€Å"potential effect so much technology might have on how children develop† (Seattle Times). A study done by Commonsense Media, found that â€Å"52 percent of children ages 5 to 8 years old have had access to a mobile device, while 39 percent of 2 to 4-year-olds and 10 percent of zero to 1-year-olds have had access.† Another research, done by The Kaiser Family Foundation, reports that â€Å"children aged 8 to 18 spend in average 7 hours and 38 minutes using media devices†. An excessive use of modern digital medias is claimed to lead to a sedentary mode of life, less time for social interactions, and more and more within children, obesity.

George Orwells: A Hanging Essay -- Literary Analysis

A world famous Essayist, a Novelist, and Critic, George Orwell is a name most people have heard at one point in their lives. His work continues to be used for educational purposes and held to a very high standard by many. Best remembered for his twin satires on totalitarianism, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell was a major participant in the British socialist movement. Although championing a radical politics of collective ownership, he extolled tradition and love of country while drawing a sharp distinction between patriotism and nationalism ("ORWELL, GEORGE." ). He was born into a poor but proud middle class family in Moti-hari, Bengal, India as Eric Arthur Blair. His surname, George Orwell, stuck with him after writing his first book Down and Out in Paris and London. This title was regarding his experiences of how his upbringing left him with feelings of great guilt, and how he then chose to live in squalor for a period of his life. With unemployment rates extremely high in the 1930’s he chose to join the labors and beggars and lived in low income lodging in London and Paris. He wondered the streets with professional vagrants and lived and learned their way of life. For Orwell this brought him closer to his roots and was an experience he has to live (â€Å"George Orwell.†). Orwell was raised in England by his mother Ida, but he was often separated from his father Richard Orwell; who spent his time working in India. His reputation among the people led him to be known as young and eccentric but withdrawn by most people who knew him. Orwell made an interesting reputation for himself, as a brilliant but poverty stricken writer. His determination led him to many good things; Orwell was awarded two scholarships to what were ... ...ell. Printer Publishers, 1991. 85-92. Rpt. In short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson and Marie Lazzari. Vol. 4 Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Feb. 2012 Orwell, George, and George Packer. Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays. Orlando: Harcourt, 2008. 23-28. Print. "ORWELL, GEORGE." Encyclopedia of Nationalism: Leaders, Movements, and Concepts. Oxford: Elsevier Science & Technology, 2000. Credo Reference. Web. 08 April 2012. "Orwell, George (pseudonym of George Orwell) (1903 - 1950)." The Bloomsbury Dictionary of English Literature. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd, 1997. Credo Reference. Web. 12 March 2012. Rodden, John. â€Å"View To A Kill.† AmGeorgean Conservative 10.9 (2011): 33. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 08 Mar. 2012 Sheldon, Michael. Orwell: The Authorized Biography. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. 53-340. Print.

Ratio Analysis Memo Essay

The following memo will explain the findings of the financial statement analysis for 2008 for Berry’s Bug Blasters as well as offer advice significant decreases in profits or increases in liabilities if they apply. Some quick facts: Liquidity is up for 2008 Current ratio shows we pay assets 5.99 times for every current liability, an increase of 62% from 2007 Significant liquidity ratio decrease in 2008 was in inventory turnover Inventory tuning over 6.67 times per year, down 42% from 2007 Berry’s Bug Blasters inventory turnover is affecting the profits. The profitability ratios decreased with the stockholders’ equity decreasing the most by 56%. The interest expense for 2007 and 2008 has been eliminated. Berry’s Bug Blasters total debt was decreased to assets by 24% in 2007 to 16%, the company’s number now shows solvency. In order to determine if a company will meet short term debt obligations liquid ratios are used by businesses and investors. Berry’s Bug Blasters has proven short term obligations 5.99 times to 1 liability. At the point when an owner or investor evaluates an organization’s liquidity ratios, they are utilizing data from the Balance Sheet to evaluate if an organization has the ass ets and the ability to pay off short term liabilities. Berry’s Bug Blasters have met the mark. Stakeholders use profitability ratios to pick up understanding on the adequacy or sufficiency of an organization’s profits. Loaning organizations and investors will utilize profitability ratios to help focus the conceivable financial related profits for the investment into that particular organization. Administration inside of an organization can use profitability ratios to issue territories inside of the organization and make any vital enhancements to enhance execution in those areas. The accompanying attachments will demonstrate that we have decreased in the amount of profit margin. This decrease demonstrates that business has hindered in 2008. Berry’s Bug Blaster may need to look over marketing  methodologies to produce more business in the impending year. Solvency ratios are for the most part utilized by long term lenders and stakeholders. Both clients are utilizing solvency ratios to focus the long term quality and survival of an organization. Long term monetary quality of an organization is essential to these clients to demonstrate that an organization will have the capacity to pay off debt and accrued interest of a mature debt. Berry’s Bug Blasters has made a decent showing of decreasing the measure of amount of total debt to assets. Generally speaking, Berry’s Bug Blasters is in great financial health in correlation to others in the business. An intercompany near analysis was performed utilizing our organizations nearest traded on an open market contender, Rollins Inc. Like Berry’s Bug Blasters, Rollins Inc. provides pest and termite control services to business and private customers. The Rollins Inc. SEC filed 10-K for the period ending 12/31/08, the attached ratio, horizontal and vertical analysis are the source documents for the data below. The profit margin is by far the most valuable accounting aspect for any company. Berry’s Bug Blasters has doubled the profit margin (16%) other than Rollins Inc. (6.6%) In regards to solvency, Berry’s Bug Blasters incurred no interest expense while Rollins Inc. paid $761,000 interest expense. Another commonly used profitability ratio used primarily by investors is the return on common stockholders’ equity. Berry’s Bug Blasters and Rollins Inc. performed splendidly and tied at 30%. The ratio, horizontal, and vertical analysis performed managers, creditors, and investors can see that Berry’s Bug Blasters remains competitive, and is a valuable investment. I hope you have gained further insight into the financial health of Berry’s Bug Blasters. References: Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D., & Kieso, D.E. (2010). Financial Accounting (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Apollo Group Virtual Organization. (2011). Berry’s Bug Blasters. Retrieved from:https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Berrys/index.asp on July 24, 2015.

From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay

The comparison between Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Hamlet in terms of how implied, or latent elements and themes in one were transmitted and developed in the other can lead to unveiling the transformations Shakespeare was envisaging with the writing of Hamlet. In the Introduction to the 1987 Oxford University Press edition of Hamlet, G. R. Hibbard stated that â€Å"Hamlet was written after, but not long after, Julius Caesar, which can be dated with unusual accuracy as having been compose in the late summer of 1599† (4). From the arguments that Hibbard gives to support his argument (that there are two allusions in the text of Hamlet to Julius Caesar) we can see the strong connections between the two plays. In a way, both Julius Caesar and Hamlet represent thresholds in the development of Shakespeare’s dramatic art.   However, Hamlet moves in a different direction.   If Julius Caesar is set in a distant past and can only hint to the humanist themes in Shakespeare’s world, Hamlet shifts the tone of Shakespeare’s plays to a more private and Elizabethan center of interest. This paper argues that the themes and motifs that were merely suggested or hinted to or implied in Julius Caesar and which were elaborately developed in Hamlet   are significant in determining the specificity of Shakespeare’s later historical tragedies. The analysis of devices, motifs and themes in the two plays will illustrate this argument. The device of foregrounding is employed in Julius Caesar in the first act as a warning sign to Caesar from the Soothsayer. It is a clear and unmistakable omen of Julius Caesar’s death, especially given the drama’s historical grounding. This device is used in this play only to trigger the conflict – the death of Caesar will generate the actual drama. Because of its lack of ambiguity and its limited dramatic span, the foreshadowing in Julius Caesar does not have the same impact as it does in Hamlet. In Hamlet, the device of foreshadowing becomes a trigger for the play’s resolution and also represents the dramatic subtext which drives the whole chain of events towards the tragic end.   In Act 1 Scene 1, we witness the apparition of the ghost of Hamlet’s father. This episode is marked by the use of special imagery and allusions. Horatio gives the decisive argument in identifying the ghost with tthe murdered king. The ghost figure is clearly employed in this first act as a means of   foreshadow ing not only the conflict of the story but also its resolution: â€Å"This bodes some strange eruption to our state† (The Tragedy of Hamlet 148). The image of Fortinbras is another ominous motif by which Shakespear alludes to the later developments in the play. Moreover, the reader is given a preliminary explanation of the Medieval code of honor, by which the king’s son has to avenge his father’s death. The story of Fortinbras and his father parallels and motivates the complex relationship between Hamlet and his own father. Duty is presented as a crucial motivation, which determines the hero’s actions and even consciousness. Another element which is only suggested in Julius Caesar is the characters’ ambivalence – no character is essentially â€Å"evil† or â€Å"bad†. Brutus, before deciding to join the conspirators, condemns this act: They are the faction. O conspiracy Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free? O, then by day Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough/ To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;† (Julius Caesar, Act 2 Scene 1). Brutus is therefore shown to have a moral conscience, a conscience dramatically and fatally opposing his actions. The paradox of a noble man’s evil actions might find its explanation through an analysis of Hamlet’s soliloquy at the end of the first act. Hamlet’s soliloquy and corruption in the forth scene points to a specific image idea Shakespeare had about the human mind and behavior: it appears that the seeds of evil can be ingrained in the most noble of spirits or, conversely, that goodness can be the host of evil. This feature is presented in fatalistic and deterministic terms and becomes another motivation for the tragic resolution: So, oft it chances in particular men That for some vicious mole of nature in them As, in their birth – wherein they are not guilty [†¦] Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason Or by some habit that too much o’er-leavens [†¦] Shall in the general censure take corruption From that particular fault (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 181) The chain of events leading to the fatal ending is thus linked to the dictum of â€Å"blind fate†. By foregrounding the ambivalence of human nature, Shakespeare gives a more complex perspective on his characters’ motivational resorts and transcends the limitations of a completely â€Å"good† or a completely â€Å"evil† model. In another scene, the King admits to his having murdered Hamlet’s father. He is presented as having pangs of guilt – â€Å"May one be pardoned and retain th’offence?† (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 273): O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven. It has the primal eldest curse upon’t – A brother’s murder. Pray can I not. (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 272). Cluadius’ questions show the character in a new, humanizing light, which eliminates the image of the stereotyped villain. Many of the elements that are only latent, or implied, in Julius Caesar, are to be fully found in Hamlet’s soliloquies. The motif of Brutus’ suicide, for instance, which is not fully developed in the play, becomes one of the themes of reflection in Hamlet’s soliloquies. Hamlet’s considerations on suicide, on the other hand, elaborate much on this theme. There are several acceptions which are discussed in the protagonist’s soliloquies and they are testimony to Shakespeare’s insight of the human mind: For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, [†¦] To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will. (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 240-241) Moreover, in another passage, Hamlet gives another interpretation of his own reluctance to commit suicide, which is presented in light of the protagonist’s fear of God and social status: The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes,† (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 240). Closely linked to this theme, there is the notion of the vanity of existence which is only implied in Julius Caesar through the foregrounding of the emperors’ rise and fall and in the parallels drawn in this respect among Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Brutus. However, this theme is not fully problematized in the play – probably because it does not come in agreement with the historical and philosophical repertoire of Ancient Rome. In Hamlet, however, this theme becomes predominant and one of the character’s privileged objects of reflection. The â€Å"What is a man† soliloquy hints to the vanitas vanitatum of Renaissance and humanist philosophy of the finitude of man and of the ultimate insignificance of all earthly possessions. Moreover, Hamlet’s soliloquy incorporates another one of the humanist concerns, which was that of the perfectibility of man’s spirit and destiny through God-given language and thought: What is a man If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 298).   To conclude, this paper has illustrated the ways in which themes and motifs which were latent in Julius Caesar are given prominence in Hamlet, especially through the protagonist’s soliloquies. In a way, it is the very shift from the predominance of the oratorical speech and its dialogic character in Julius Caesar to the primacy of the soliloquy and its monological quality in Hamlet that provides the key for understanding the reasons behind the amplification of devices and themes from one play to the other. With Hamlet, Shakespeare’s historical tragedies become more intimate and, at the same time, more openly philosophical and universal.